A method and an arrangement for controlling a vehicle are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,776. Here, a control of the entire vehicle at least with respect to the drive train and brakes is suggested. This control has a hierarchial command structure for the control tasks.
The control structure described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,776 includes coordinating elements which convert a command from a higher hierarchial level into commands for elements of a lower hierarchial level. The contents of the commands, which are transmitted from above to below in the hierarchial structure, define physical variables which determine the interfaces between the individual hierarchial levels.
The command flow is only from a higher hierarchial level to a lower hierarchial level. The highest hierarchial level is assumed by the driver. The driver then is the sole central command generator. With respect to the term "driver", also assistance systems, navigation systems and traffic guidance systems are understood. The driver command is therefore, corrected if required (for example, by a drive slip control), processed always with the highest priority. For this reason, the driver always operates on the systems and actuators of the system via commands. For a configuration of the vehicle control system of this kind, problems can occur in the structuring of the system and therefore also in the operation of the system. As an example, the driving dynamic control can be mentioned, which drive-dynamically stabilizes the vehicle via an intervention at the engine to reduce the engine power and via a brake intervention to build up a yaw torque although the driver actuates the accelerator pedal for formulating the desire for propulsion. This example shows that the driver command with respect to vehicle propulsion is overridden completely in favor of the desire for driving stability. Accordingly, the driver command has not the character of a command for the actuating systems which must be in any event be executed. From this, it results that the driver does not stand with all operator-controlled elements at the highest hierarchial level and that the driver is also not the single central command generator in the entire vehicle.